The Serpent
by aliceistiny
Summary: AU. Prior to War. HP/OC. HG/DM. RW/LB. DM/OC, Family. BB/V. 6th year. Summary Inside. REVIEW, PLEASE!
1. Prologue: The Sorting

**Hey, all! So…yeah…a new story…I know, I'm still not done with the others…NO JUDGEMENT. **

**Summary: Harry Potter never took notice when the student body of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry welcomed a new female student, nor did he notice that she had been sorted into Slytherin. Harry Potter never took notice that the new girl was strangely attached to Draco Malfoy, the latter having no issue with the intimacy. Harry Potter never took notice that her eyes were a striking green or that her hair was the color of midnight. Harry Potter did take notice, however, of the distinct, slithering movement of a Dark Mark that had not been bothered to be covered.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not, now will I ever, own the world of Harry Potter. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN, JK Rowling.**

* * *

"Students," beckoned Headmaster Albus Dumbledore as he stood in front of the podium in the Great Hall on Tuesday morning. "We have a new student with us today, a Miss Alya Serpens, who will be sorted here today. Minerva, the Sorting Hat, if you'd please?"

The new girl was of average height and form; her eyes a striking green against her oddly pale skin which contrasted with her black hair that rivaled midnight. She carried the demanding aura only a Pureblood could have and her sinister smirk rivaled that of Draco Malfoy, who had taken on his own trademark smirk at the sight of her. The Sorting Hat was raised in Professor Dumbledore's hand, ready to be placed but, much like Draco Malfoy's sorting, before the Sorting Hat touched her dark hairs, it shouted in a clear tenor:

"SLYTHERIN!"

Draco Malfoy stood unusually proud from his seat at the Slytherin table and clapped his hands louder than the other students, his smirk still lining his features. Alya gracefully descended from the front steps of the Great Hall and made her way over to Malfoy, who engulfed her in an embrace.

From across the room, Harry Potter watched on at the odd display of affection from Draco Malfoy, having never seen this affectionate side from the normally indifferent student.

"Harry, do you see that?" asked Hermione, who sat across from the Boy Wonder, her gaze also locked on the embracing pair at the Slytherin table.

"What, Malfoy showing emotion?" commented Ron with his mouth full, bits of turkey hanging from the area around his mouth.

"Goodness, Ronald, will you ever learn to eat with your mouth closed like a normal person?" Hermione said this as she uttered a quick _Scourgify _on Ron before turning her attention to the new Slytherin student, now sitting next to Malfoy and enjoying her first meal at Hogwarts. "I'm talking about her arm. When she was hugging Malfoy, her sleeve fell back a bit and I noticed something on her wrist."

The two boys of the Golden Trio now turned their full attention to their friend. Her expression matched theirs of complete seriousness and urgency. Brown, Blue, and Green eyes flashed to the girl before meeting each other's once more, the single thought on each other's mind:

_Death Eater._

* * *

_**Preview to Chapter Two: The Introduction, also a look into what you should expect in The Serpent.**_

_"Hermione, are you sure that's what you saw?"_

_"Have I ever been wrong?"_

_._

_._

_._

_"Hi, I'm Alya Serpens."_

_"Harry Potter."_

_"Well, Mr. Potter, it appears we're Potions partners."_

_._

_._

_._

_"Potter, I don't believe you've met my cousin."_

_._

_._

_._

_"Her name...it means 'The Serpent.'"_

_._

_._

_._

_"It's a Black family tradition to name their children after stars and/or constellations."_

_._

_._

_._

_"You don't think...?"_

_"She's his daughter."_

_._

_._

_._

_"I love you."_

_"Don't."_

_._

_._

_._

* * *

**Ugh, short chapter. I guess I'll just use this as a sort of prologue to this story. Hope you all felt the angst! Please review, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas for the story. Seriously, review this. Alice out.**

**-Alice**


	2. Partners

**So it doesn't look like I got a lot of feedback for the first chapter of **_**The Serpent**_** but I'm guessing that's because it's only the first chapter?...right?**

**Anyways, moving on…**

* * *

"'Mione, are you sure that you saw…" Ron looked around before turning to the bush-haired witch, speaking in a low whisper, "the _Dark Mark_?"

"I know what I saw, Ronald. Have I ever been wrong?"

The redhead sighed and slumped in his seat at the dining table of the Great Hall, the other two thirds of the Golden Trio in a similar state of distress. The majority of the students—including Draco Malfoy, the new student, and Draco's posse of followers—had filtered back to their houses, leaving the few students and teachers in the Great Hall with the Trio.

"But don't you think Dumbledore would know if he had let a Death Eater into Hogwarts?" cut in Harry, his eyes and forehead crinkled in deep thought. "I mean, even if she had used a Disillusionment Charm, Dumbledore would've felt it…or something, right?"

Hermione looked at her two best friends with a look they've ever so rarely been privileged to see. It wasn't every day that you saw Hermione Granger stumped by a problem.

"I don't know, boys. I honestly don't know."

* * *

_The next day, in Potions:_

"As I'm sure you all know we have a new student, a Ms. Alya Serpens from the Slytherin house. Please treat her with the respect and dignity she deserves," droned on Snape in his dead pan, monotone voice while he stood at the head of the class. "Now, turn to page…"

The houses present in Potions at the moment were Slytherin and Gryffindor, separated by a single aisle that divided the lab desks into left and right sides. On the right side—the Gryffindor side—sat Harry, Hermione, and Ron, whereas on the left sat Draco, Blaise, and Alya. Rather than fixing his eyes on his Potions professor, Harry fixated his eyes on the newly-dubbed Silver Trio across the room, more accurately on Alya Serpens.

At the moment, the new girl sat sandwiched between Malfoy and Zabini, the three sharing a desk normally meant for two. Harry himself sat at the desk next to Ron and Hermione's, seated beside Neville. Alya leaned back in her stool with her arms crossed over her chest, smirking at something Draco and Blaise were whispering about as they took notes. Alya wasn't taking notes at all, having enchanted her quill to do it for her. Her eyes scanned the room briefly before catching Harry's, her eyebrow quirking up at having caught him staring at her.

She held his gaze.

"Mr. Potter." Harry jumped at the dull monotone of Snape's voice. His head snapped from Alya's to Snape's cold eyes, gulping slightly at the sure punishment he was about to earn. "Seeing as you can't seem to take your eyes off of our new student and she finally brings our previously odd-numbered class to an even-number, she is now your Potions partner. Maybe now you won't distract the class with your blatant staring and obnoxious babbling with Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger."

The Slytherin side snickered as Alya gathered her books and moved to an empty desk toward the front before situating herself once again on the stool. Seeing as Harry had yet to join her, she glanced over her shoulder at him and waited with a bored stare. The fingertips of her manicured hand tapped lightly against the desk, the sound deafening in the silent room that still waited for the glasses-wearing boy to move.

"Oh, come on, Mr. Potter, I won't bite," smirked Alya teasingly, her chin resting nonchalantly in the palm of her hand that was propped on the desk.

"Professor, you're sure?" stammered Harry, who glanced between his friends and Snape.

"10 points from Gryffindor for incompetence."

It was when the Gryffindors collectively groaned that Harry Potter decided to move.

* * *

**And that's it for today! Hope you all enjoyed it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me feedback, it inspires me!**

**-alice**


	3. Revelations

**DEAR ANONYMOUS FLAME REVIEWER,**

**IF MY STORY IS SO BAD, WHY ARE YOU SPENDING YOUR OH-SO-PRECIOUS TIME READING IT AND TAKING THE TIME TO REVIEW IT? LIKE, REALLY, I'M ALL FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM BUT SAYING "I SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED" IS A LITTLE RUDE. IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO READ STORIES LIKE THIS, GET OFF OF FANFICTION.**

**Anyways, here's the third chapter of **_**The Serpent.**_

* * *

The rest of Potions had gone off without any sort of a hitch. Notes were dutifully taken, questions were asked, and answers were given by Hermione. Harry Potter could almost say that the day was quite pleasant…

Other than the fact that he had continuously snuck glances in the direction of Alya's arm. As of now, he had failed to discover any mark or blemish that resembled a tattoo, let alone a Dark Mark. The thought of Hermione making a mistake fled his mind as fast as it came, having no doubts that his bushy-haired friend had seen the mark on the Slytherin girl. The question, however, was: _Where the bloody hell was it?_

"You are dismissed."

The once silent class was now buzzing with noise and the chatter of students packing their things. The stone walls of the dungeon classroom echoed the noise, making it twice as loud. Movement towards Harry's peripheral vision caught his attention when he noticed the distinct platinum blond hair of Draco Malfoy.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry questioned, rolling his eyes as he stuffed his Potions textbook under his arm.

"I'm not here for you, Potter," Malfoy sneered before turning to Alya, "Ready, Aly?"

"Just a minute, Drake," 'Aly' replied. Alya neatly gathered her things before slinging her book bag over her shoulder and turning to the two boys around her.

Harry looked at the two in confusion, trying to make something of the connection they had.

"What, Potter, may I ask, are you staring at?"

"Nothing, Malfoy."

"Seeing as how you and your two nitwit friends haven't made the connection yet, Alya is my cousin. Come on, Aly, let's not waste any more time with this one."

With that, the two Slytherins exited the classroom, leaving the Boy-Who-Lived in his confused Stupor.

"Harry, you coming?" inquired Hermione from the doorway, wondering why Harry looked so stricken.

* * *

**Definitely not my best and not my longest. Review and whatnot. You know…yeah. This will probably be removed and rewritten but take this for now.**

**-alice**


	4. Revelations: REWRITTEN

**This is a rewrite of the previous chapter. Originally I was going to replace it but I decided to keep it so…yeah.**

**Introducing the REWRITTEN 3****rd**** Chapter of **_**the Serpent**_**.**

* * *

"Alya Serpens."

The moment Harry had sat down at his new lab desk, Alya had so suddenly and lowly said her name that Harry was almost convinced he imagined it. He glanced up at her to find her looking at him with a raised eyebrow. It took him a moment to realize she was introducing herself.

"Harry Potter," he replied before Alya nodded in acknowledgement and turned her attention back to Professor Snape, who had resumed lecturing.

"Well, Mr. Potter, it appears we're Potions partners."

He glanced at her again but she had already continued taking notes by hand, her quill no longer enchanted.

* * *

The remainder of the class period had gone off without any sort of a hitch. After Harry and Alya earned their new seating arrangement, the only sounds in the room were Snape's lecturing and the scribbling of quills against parchment. Harry could almost say the hour was pleasant and normal, except for the fact he hadn't paid any attention to the teacher at all.

Rather, his gaze had been locked on Alya.

Throughout the hour, Harry Potter had—less than subtly—stolen glances in the direction of the Slytherin girl. He had noticed no blemish against her alabaster skin, except for the tip of a fading scar peeking out from the neckline of her right shoulder. There has of yet to be any sign of anything resembling a tattoo on her arm, let alone a Dark Mark, but the idea of Hermione being wrong was banished as fast as it had come.

_Hermione is never wrong,_ Harry reminded himself.

"Class is dismissed."

The class once filled only with the voice of Professor Snape now buzzed with the conversations of Harry's fellow classmates. Harry was vaguely aware of Hermione beckoning him from the doorway but so far he hadn't made any move to leave. Hermione and Ron were about to approach Harry when they noticed Malfoy make his way towards the Slytherin and Gryffindor.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" hissed Harry, finally rising from his stool in both intimidation and to pack his things.

Draco glared at Harry, his upper lip curling in disgust. "I'm not here for you, _Potter," _he sneered. Draco turned to Alya and, in a much more patient tone, asked, "Ready, Alya?"

"Just a moment, Draco," remarked Alya as she tediously put her things into her bookbag before slinging it over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Potter."

With that, the two Slytherins exited the classroom, immediately flanked by Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, and Pansy Parkinsin the second they stepped through the doorway into the hall.

It was then that Hermione and Ron rushed to their friend, eager to find out about what had been exchanged between the three students.

"Harry, what happened?" inquired Hermione, her eyes searching Harry's for any hints.

Harry dreadfully looked at his two friends, the same look Hermione had given them at dinner last night. They knew what he would say before the words left his mouth: "I saw the Mark."

* * *

**Better? An improvement for the one written…yesterday? Anyways, Review please.**

**-alice**

**PS: I know my character is a "Mary Sue" but welcome to fanfiction. I'm trying to develop the character, we're only 3-4 chapters in so give me a break.**


End file.
